New York, NY - The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City has initiated an innovative pre-clinical research project in conjunction with The Drew O’Donoghue Fund to study Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ACC), a rare cancer that strikes nearly 1,000 people a year in the United States.

This rare form of cancer typically presents itself to children in their first decade. For adults, however, the symptoms are often masked by other traditional diseases and often go undiagnosed.

In this first-of-its-kind pre-clinical project, a group of experts will study the ACC’s tumor environment to learn if the tumor’s genetic make-up and genetic mutations could serve as potential targets for immunotherapy. This will be done with both primary and metastatic resected adrenocortical carcinoma tissue samples over the next two years and the project is set to start in the coming weeks. Depending on the results, there is the potential to start a clinical trial in combination with a pharmaceutical company. The Drew O’Donoghue Fund at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) will help to underwrite this project which will expand our understanding of this rare disease.

The O’Donoghue Family, and the friends and supporters of The Drew O’Donoghue Fund, would like to sincerely thank the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for undertaking this important initiative in Drew’s name, and extend particular thanks to the many doctors and staff at MSK for their resolute dedication to finding a cure for ACC.

Donations can be made directly to The Drew O’Donoghue Fund at MSK online at the link below.